Out of nowhere, he thrilled, dazzled, slayed No. 1 Alabama and became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.

Those exploits alone would have made Johnny Manziel the Texas Sports Personality of the Year, but “Johnny Football,” as usual, outdid himself.

Ultimately, what Texas A&M’s spellbinding 6-1, 200-pound quarterback did for his university transcended his on-the-field feats. He stoked the Spirit of Aggieland like few, if any, individuals before him.

Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin’s “100-year decision” to move to the Southeastern Conference and the hiring of coach Kevin Sumlin proved to be stage-setting. No one, though, could have fathomed Manziel and the Aggies seizing the moment with a 10-2 regular season, casting A&M into the national spotlight sooner and more prominently than Loftin’s wildest calculations.

“Our long-range goal is for Texas A&M to be recognized as one of the top 10 public universities in the country,” Loftin said, upon being informed that SportsDay selected Manziel as Texas Sports Personality of the Year. “Athletics provides a means for increased visibility for the university — one of the primary reasons for our move to the SEC.”

Loftin pointed out that even before Manziel Mania, A&M sold out football season tickets before the first game, a school first. Loftin said licensing revenues, sponsorships and fund-raising have spiked this year, especially since the Aggies’ Nov. 10 upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

“Johnny Manziel winning the Heisman Trophy has taken everything to another level,” Loftin said. “Texas A&M and Johnny Football are the talk of the entire country. We knew the potential was there for us, but winning the Heisman, coupled with our first-year success in the SEC, has accelerated the process significantly.”

In the award’s 17-year history, no Texas Sports Personality of the Year recipient has had a more sudden, dramatic, virtually out-of-the-blue impact.

Redshirt freshman Manziel wasn’t named A&M’s starting quarterback until August. He took his first college snap Sept. 8, against Florida, in the Aggies’ SEC debut.

Three months to the day, 4,600 total yards and numerous improvised highlight-reel plays later, Manziel accepted the Heisman Trophy in New York City’s Best Buy Theater, two days after his 20th birthday.

“The values that I have learned from my parents and that have been carried over by Texas A&M — leadership, respect and putting others first — is what the 12th Man is all about,” Manziel said that night, in the closing paragraph of his nationally televised acceptance speech.

“I believe the 12th Man is one of the great traditions in all of college football — 40,000 students standing not as fans, but as members of our team. To the 12th Man, Texas A&M, Kerrville, Texas and Aggies everywhere, this Heisman Trophy is for you.”

Since then, Manziel has presented the top 10 “perks of winning the Heisman Trophy” on Late Show with David Letterman, hobnobbed on The Tonight Show (getting fellow guest Megan Fox to flash the Gig ’em sign for a backstage photo that went viral) and was showcased in gigantic high-def on a Times Square billboard.

He also has been featured on more than 400 roadside billboards across the country, but in reality he’ll be a walking, talking, dimple-cheeked A&M advertisement for years to come.

Cowboys Stadium and the AT&T Cotton Bowl will provide Manziel’s and the Aggies’ next platform Jan. 4, with A&M facing former Big 12 foe Oklahoma.

“I don’t think I ever envisioned how big this season would be for us,” Manziel said. “I don’t really think anybody envisioned that we would win 10 games at the beginning of the season and that we would all have as much success as a team.”

Baylor, home of 2011 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III, has estimated that the award’s aftermath generated $250 million — and counting — in increased donations, licensing fees and sponsorships, ticket sales and enhanced media partnerships.

Jason Cook, Texas A&M’s vice president for marketing and communications, said the school has hired Michigan-based research firm Joyce Julius & Associates to help determine what the Heisman has and will mean to the university.

“I would expect it to be in the range of the Baylor figure, given some of the early numbers we’ve already seen,” Cook said.

For example, Texas A&M enlisted research from the Collegiate Licensing Company, which determined the average royalty revenue growth for schools that had the last five Heisman winners.

CLC informed A&M that during the first post-Heisman year, royalty revenue increased by an average of 27 percent at Baylor, Auburn (Cam Newton), Alabama (Mark Ingram) and Oklahoma (Sam Bradford).

While Manziel has brought A&M an avalanche of positive publicity, it’s undeniable that the school’s decision to bolt to the SEC paved his Heisman victory.

Had A&M remained in the Big 12, Manziel’s passing and running numbers would have stood out less in an offense-dominated, defense-challenged league. Success in the SEC, producer of the last six national championship teams, seldom is regarded as fluky.

Without the SEC move, Manziel wouldn’t have had on his résumé the signature win over Alabama. The Heisman voting totals also seemed to reflect A&M’s extended footprint, with Manziel winning the South and Southwest regions by wide margins.

“People didn’t believe us, Dr. Loftin and I, when we talked about the move to the SEC being a ‘brand’ move,” Cook said. “They always wanted to attribute it to other motivations.

“But I think now, after our first season in the league, they look at the exposure it’s generated for the team, and for Johnny Manziel and his Heisman run, and for the institution overall,” Cook said. “I think they have a much clearer picture of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when a special athlete produces a historic season at the quintessential time.

It doesn’t take a research firm to deduce the reason Manziel is the Texas Sports Personality of the Year. Just listen to all the “Whoops!” across the state, and beyond.

It’s been a while since the 12th Man stood this proudly. It’s a great time to be an Aggie, especially with potentially three more seasons of Johnny Football and Heisman runs.

“I guess the way I play the game, with a lot of heart and wearing my emotions on my sleeve, hopefully that has an impact on people wanting to come here and play football with every single guy on this team — not just myself,” Manziel said.

“I obviously didn’t know the success of our team would be this big, but it’s something I’m truly thankful for. It’s been a heck of a ride so far.”

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.